Places, Spaces and Bodies: Male-to-male Sex Tourism in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)

Abstract

From a geographical perspective, the article focuses on the sexual encounters of men who have sex with other men for money in Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco, Mexico). In these encounters, besides money, values, ideas, stereotypes and expectations circulate between clients and sex workers. In this context it explores (i) the process of consolidation of Vallarta as a gay “place” for international tourism, (ii) the images and representations of places and bodies, particularly through the analysis of the material aspects of everyday lives of sex workers (i.e. scenarios and routines of practices), and (iii) sexualities and the body from a double perspective, as a social construction in which images and representations are exchanged and as a commercial object in the context of gay culture. The article is based on qualitative information acquired through fieldwork. Specifically, twelve semi-structured interviews were carried out with male sex workers in Old Vallarta.